What have been our successes this year?
This has been another very successful year for the school.
The children and staff have worked hard, the children have made very good progress across the curriculum and the Year 2 children have met the targets set for them in the statutory assessments.
The school offers an excellent breakfast and after school club which is thriving and many extra-curricular activities that are very well supported and valued by children and parents. There have been many opportunities for parents and families to share in the children's learning and get involved in the life of the school.
This year we have developed 'Assessment For Learning' strategies consistently throughout the school. The children have responded really well and this has had a very positive impact on their learning.
We have also achieved the Healthy Schools Award which celebrates our commitment to developing the children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Part of this work together with our engagement with the National PE strategy has resulted in many improvements to the PE curriculum and also opportunities for children in take part in a very wide range of additional physical activities including athletics, taekwondo, cheerleading and gymnastics.
What are we trying to improve?
This year we are aiming to further raise our standards in writing, particularly foccussing on the teaching and learning of phonic skills . We are also keen to consolidate the improvements made last year linked to personalised learning and children being involved in assessing their work and becoming more aware of how to improve it.
Another area of development is to continue to improve the ways in which we work with parents so they can effectively support their children's learning. The planned Children's Centre should also be on our site by the end of the year which will enable us to provide multi-agency support for children and better meet the needs of the community.
Physical Education will continue to be a focus area and also our work linked to personalising the curriculum in relation to the newly revised national strategies for Literacy and Mathematics. We are committed to providing a quality curriculum which is based on first hand experiences, allows children to develop skills and provides opportunities for self-directed and cross-curricular learning.
We also want to continue to develop the role of the School Forum which enables children to 'have a voice' and play an active role in the development of our school.
How have our results changed over time?
The annual assessments at the end of Year 2 for 2007 (unvalidated) were extremely pleasing and have improved since 2006.
There was particular improvment in writing and in the attainment of children at Level 2B and above. In Maths the very high standard of attainment was maintained and the cohort's attainment was well above the local averages.
We are still aiming to improve further the attainment in writing as along with many schools this is the weakest area.
Pupil tracking systems indicate that children with Special Educational Needs have generally made very good progress due to the excellent support they have received from parents and the staff team.
Children in the Foundation Stage have attained very well and the the majority have achieved the Early Learning Goals that are expected of them. Assessments indicate that they have benefitted greatly from a lively play based curriculum, active learning and rigorous teaching and learning.
There has been particular improvements in the area of phonics and the teaching and learning in Literacy.
How are we making sure we are meeting the learning needs of individual pupils?
The school community works very hard to ensure that the individual needs of all learners are met.
Children are treated as individuals and we match work carefully to their ages, abilities and aptitudes. Lessons are planned to take account of different levels of learning and cater well for all children according to their individual needs.Learners are told how well they are doing, are set individual targets for improvement and progress is carefully tracked and monitored.
Praise, encouragement and rewards are consistently used to help pupils see the importance of working hard and learning well.
Parents are welcomed into the school and are actively encouraged to enter into a real partnership with us.
All children access a broad, high quality curriculum enabling them to develop knowledge, skills and understanding and become successful learners.
The particular needs of groups of pupils are well met and there are high quality learning opportunities provided for all children including those with special needs, and those who are very able or display particular talents.
The school support staff team support learning in the classrooms and provide additional support for groups of pupils who have particular needs.
How do we make sure our pupils are healthy, safe and well-supported?
Our school is totally committed to the good health and the welfare of all our children.
We provide:
> A caring, committed staff who nuture and support the development of the whole child
> Staff who have all completed First Aid Training
> A clear, consistently applied behaviour policy based on positive behaviour management
> Rigorous risk assessments for activities within and outside the school to ensure the safety of all children
> Regular exercise through 2 hours quality PE sessions and involvement in many sport based extra-curricular activities
> High quality healthy school meals
> First day contact for absences
> Fresh fruit and milk daily and access to water
How do our absence rates compare with other schools?
The school has no issues with rates of absence. Attendance is above the National Average.
What activities are available to pupils?
We offer our learners a wide range of activities during the day and after school such as:
> Extra - curricular activities e.g. Athletics, Gymanastics, Art, Yoga, Football
> Additional learning opportunities aimed at groups of children identified as being very able or talented in
a particular area e.g. Maths problem solving, ICT, Music, Art and Craft
> Regular educational visits to enhance learning
> A wide range of visitors to provide additional first hand experiences and support learning e.g. dancers, drummers, cultural experiences, artists
> Themed days and weeks e.g. Healthy Living Week, Caribbean Arts Week, Maths is Fun Day etc
> Regular PE sessions and physical activity including playground games
> Participation in the School Forum
We encourage learners to participate in the full life of the school and parents are always welcome to contribute and get involved.gy is regularly reviewed and it meets all the statutory requirements.
How are we working with parents and the community?
Promoting and creating positive links with parents and the community is a priority of the school. We believe that " Together we achieve more ".
The school is committed to establishing itself as an extended school and has made excellent progress in this area. We have recently made a successful bid to have a Childrens' Centre attached to our school and work is due to begin in Autumn 2007. This will enable us to provide many additional services and opportunities to more effectively meet the needs of the community.
Parents are invited to induction sessions at the start of the school year and there are regular oportunities throughout the year for parents to discuss their child's progress.The school offers 'wrap around care' on site and activiely encourages the community to use the school site. Family and adult learning is available during and beyond the school day.
The Headteacher has regular contact with parents and welcomes feedback and discussion about pupils and the life of the school. Parents newsletters and information on the school website is available and updated on a half-termly basis.
What have pupils told us about the school, and what have we done as a result?
The school takes the views of the children very seriously and has established strategies for hearing their voices.
Our School Forum meets regularly and is composed of representatives from all the Key Stage 1 classes. They meet to discuss their ideas and any issues and are the line of communication to each class. The school council from the Junior School has very successfully supported the younger children as they have developed their forum.
Amongst other things this year the forum has discussed how to improve playtimes and introduced the 'Friendship Stop' and Playground leaders. They have also helped to introduce structured lunchtime games and plan events to raise money for others e.g. Children in Need.
At the end of the school year the forum made a fantastic contribution to the school by providing evidence for our Healthy Schools Standard assessment.
What do our pupils do after leaving this school?
When pupils leave us at the end of Year 2 the majority transfer to the Junior School.
We have good links with the Junior School and both schools work hard to ensure a smooth transition. Staff meet to discuss the children's attainments and any particular needs they may have so there is good progression and continuity of learning.
In the Summer Term prior to transition the Year 2 group are allocated Year 5 buddies who help them to feel confident and familiar in their new school. The children spend a number of sessions on the Junior site experiencing activities such as Music, Sports, school lunches and playtimes.
Ofsted’s view of our school
This is a very effective school, which gives very good value for money. Very good leadership and management give it ambition and there is a relentless pursuit of high standards.
Teaching is very effective and pupils’ learning is rapid so that pupils achieve highly and progress at a very good rate to reach well above average standards by the end of Year 2.
Date of last inspection: 15-Mar-2004
Ofsted graded our school as Very Good
Inspectors made judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).
What have we done in response to Ofsted?
Our last Ofsted inspection went extremely well identifying us as a very good and successful school.
We have continued to build upon the successes identified and develop the two minor areas identified for improvement. These were to further improve the provision we make for very able and talented pupils and further develop pupils understanding of other cultures.
The school has made very good progress in both these areas.
More Information
If you would like more information about school policies, including our policies on special educational needs and disability, admissions, finance, school food and our complaints procedure, please contact us:
By e-mail: admin@ksInfantschool.co.uk
By telephone: 01302 882221
Our Website: www.ksInfantschool.co.uk
